The short version: Narrative perspective is who tells the story and how much they can see — and that choice shapes everything you know.
You already read for who's talking.
A friend telling you about an argument only gives you their side — you sense what they leave out. A story works the same way: the voice telling it decides what you see, and what you don't.
Here's what to look for:
One clear example of each
First person (‘I’)
The narrator is inside the story: ‘I knew he was lying, but I smiled anyway.’ Close and personal — but we only get their view.
Third person (‘she / he / they’)
The narrator stands outside: ‘She locked the door and told herself she wasn't afraid.’ It can stay with one person, or know everyone's thoughts.
Can we trust them?
Sometimes the narrator misreads things or hides them: ‘He was only being friendly, I'm sure of it.’ When we doubt the teller, that gap becomes the point.
The key move: Name the perspective (first or third person), say how much it lets you see, and then say what that does — whose side it puts you on, or what it keeps hidden.
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Why it matters in the exam: Perspective is a strong Paper 1 move because most students ignore it.
Three moves
Name it
Is the voice first or third person?
Quote it
Quote a line that shows it.
Explain it
Say what the reader is allowed to know.
That earns the effect mark, not just feature-spotting.
Analyse the narrative perspective: “I told them everything was under control. My hands were steady. If anyone noticed the smoke behind me, they were too polite to say.”
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Watch out: Don't just label ‘first person’. Say what that view lets us see or hides, and — if the narrator seems unreliable — what the gap makes the reader notice.